HSUS-Purebred Paradox PDF

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massive headBirthingdifficulties: Puppies

are delivered by cesarean section

because their characteristically

large heads can become lodged

in the mothers birth canal.

heavywrinkles

Folddermatitis: Unusual

or excessive facial skin folds

can lead to infection if not

cleaned regularly.

extremely

short face

heavy, thickset,low-swung body

Hipandelbowdysplasia: Developmental

malformation or subluxation of joints canlead to limping and chronic pain.

Breathingproblems: Structure leads

to noisy, open-mouth breathing; snoring;

panting; drooling; exercise intolerance;

vomiting; and difficulty eating due to

compressed or narrowed air passages.

Sensitivity toheat: A stout muzzle,

an underbite with pinched or clogged

nasal passages, and an abnormally small

trachea make it difficult for the English

bulldog to pant sufficiently to cool

himself down.

massive,undershot jawAbnormaldentition:

The jaw structure gives

the bulldog abnormal

placement, number, and

development of teeth.

He may well be

the most extreme

example of genetic

manipulation

in the entire

canine world.

FROM THE BULLDOG CLUB

OF AMERICAS THE BULLDOG:

AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE

TO THE STANDARD


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n the days leading up to the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the

hotels around Madison Square Garden in New York City fill up with owners, handlers,

and hundreds of purebred dogs. They come from around the country, spiffed up and

ready to shine: prancing white poodles with their fur teased into towering pompadours,

basset hounds with their ears held up in shower caps to keep them from dragging on the

ground, bright-eyed Chihuahuas peering eagerly out of fancy carriers.

For these show dogs, who must be registered with theAmerican Kennel Club,this is theOscarsthe symbol of the purebred dog, in show rings as well as in millions of television

homes across America, according to its marketers. They vie for a hierarchy of awards:

best of breed, best in group (sporting, herding, hound, toy), and, most prestigious of all,

best in show.

In an interview filmed during the show this February, Kimberley Meredith-Cavanna

explained the criteria that she and other judges consider when determining how closely these

premium pooches match theideal specimen prescribed by each breeds parent club. Were

looking to see what its head should look like, its eye set, its proportions, its size, how the dog

moves, and how it should be built, she said.

While it may seem as though contestants are competing against each other, they are ac-

tually judged against standards written by the clubs and ratified by the AKC: Are this dogs

ears long enough to make her an ideal beagle? Is that ones head big enough to make him aprime example of English bulldog-ness? Does this Rhodesian ridgeback have the correct

symmetrical ridge of hair along her spine?

Watching the lively animals in the ring, how can a dog lover not be charmed? West-

minster and other shows like the annual AKC/Eukanuba Championship have a loyal fol-

lowing among breeders and casual dog lovers alike.

But the shows are not without their critics. Though the dogs who compete at West-

minster are beautiful and most are likely healthy, the rise of such spectaclesand judging

measures that in some cases emphasize appearance over welfarehas been blamed for a

host of genetic health problems facing scores of breeds today.

Brachycephalic (or short-faced) breeds like bulldogs and pugs suffer from breathing

problems; Great Danes and other large dogs from joint problems; long dogs like dachshunds

and basset hounds from back problems; wrinkly-faced dogs like boxers and shar-peis from

skin and eye problems. And due to prolific production to meet public demand, the most

coveted dogs tend to have the most genetic disorders; Labrador retrievers, whove topped the

AKCs popularity list for 19 years, are prone to around 50 inherited conditions.

The stories of those who fall in love with these animals, only to watch them suffer, are

often heartbreaking. On NewYears Eve, Janice Pfeiffers dog Daisy suddenlystarted yelping

really loud, says the New Hampshire resident.It turned out she had a seizure, and she re-

covered from the seizure on the floor, and crawled into a corner and just looked glassy-eyed.

An MRI revealed the painful truth about the Cavalier King Charles spaniel Pfeiffer had

bought at a pet store: At less than a year old, Daisy had syringomyelia, a condition in which

Purebred ParadoxIs the quest for the perfect dog driving a genetic health crisis?by CARRIE ALLAN

The

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fluid-filled cavities occur within the spinal cord near the brain.

In severe cases, a dogs brain swells beyond the space provided by

her skull. Some studies have indicated that, due to its prevalence in

the breeds gene pool, 30 to 70 percent of Cavaliers will develop the

condition.

THE GENETIC HISTORY OF MANS BEST FRIEND

Once upon a time,people believed that purebred dogs were naturally

healthier than mixed breeds. How have we arrived at a point where

it may be safer to presume the opposite?

Like humans, dogs are diverse in appearanceperhaps one of

the reasons we love and identify with them. But that wasnt always

the case.

All dogs share ancestry with the wolf, but since their domesti-

cation at least 15,000 years ago, theyve been selectively bred bypeople to assist with herding, hunting, andin the case of the

Pekingesewarming the laps of Chinese emperors. For the better

part of canine history, the physiques of breeds were driven by dogs

role as working animals, a classic example of the dictum that form

follows function.

As that role diminished and pet keeping became common, dogs

began to be bred more for appearance. You can see the resulting di-

versity any time you go to the dog park and watch an amorous Chi-

huahua trying to make time with an embarrassed St. Bernard, while

a baffled Afghan and whippet look on. Theyre all dogsbut if you

didnt know that, you might believe they were different species.

The thought wouldnt be unreasonable. A recent study in The

American Naturalistcompared the diversity in the dog to that across

the entire order carnivora. They found more difference between the

skulls of a Pekingese and a collie than between those of a walrus and

a coati, a South American member of the raccoon family.

Left to their own devices, dogs will be dogsand will eventu-

ally intermingle enough to level out extreme differences within the

species. Natural selection ensues and hybrid vigor results: Witness

the similar color and size of mutts in Mexico and other countries

where theyre allowed to roam. To protect particular characteristics,

though, breed enthusiasts have long guarded a highly controlled

process, regulating genetic lines and creating registries that stipulate

which animals can be bred to produce more of the same type.

But therein lies the problem: The more limited the number of

mates, the greater the chance a dog will be bred with a relative who

shares similar genes. Genetic diseases are caused by recessive genes,so a good gene from one parent will trump a bad gene from the

other. But if both parents have a bad genesuch as one that predis-

poses them to hip dysplasia or blindnessthe likelihood of a sick

puppy increases.

What happens when you have a small and inbreeding popu-

lation is that the probability of two negative recessive genes finding

each other increases as the gene pool chokes down to a smaller and

smaller pool, says Patrick Burns, a Dogs Todaycolumnist who fre-

quently writes about genetic health issues on his blog, Terriermans

Daily Dose.

A closed registry that allows no new blood into the mix

exacerbates the problem, he argues: In many AKC dogs, the

30"10"

Chihuahua

GreatDane


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founding gene pool was less than 50 dogs. For some breeds, it

was less than 20 dogs.

STANDARD PROBLEMS

This years Westminster champion, a Scottish terrier named Sadie,

hails from one of these tiny gene pools and is very heavily inbred,

says Burns. The limited ancestry for AKC-registered Scotties, he

adds, helps explain why 45 percent die of cancer.

We do not need to have a closed registry to keep a breed,

Burns says, pointing out that breeds existed long before there was

an organization to track them. We did not create the dogs we love

in a closed registry systemwe have only ruined them there.

Some breeders would doubtless disagree with Burns on this

issue. But the inherent difficulties of

protecting the health of a breed within

a closed registry are exemplified by

a project undertaken by the Basenji

Club of America, which has in the

past requested that its stud book be

opened temporarily to bring in

healthier animals.Genetic problems in registered

Basenjis were detected in the 1970s,

when many of the small curly-tailed

dogs known for beingbarklessbegan

suffering from hemolytic anemia. After

a test for the disease was developed,

breeders tried to protect the gene pool through euthanasia of

affected dogs, says club president Sally Wuornos. But eliminating

dogs with hemolytic anemia left a much smaller number of regis-

tered Basenjis. And many of the remaining animals now displayed

a different problem, a kidney disease called Fanconi syndrome.

By addressing one disorder, the breeders had unwittingly amplified

another.

Instead of repeating past mistakes and culling Fanconi carriers,

the club received the AKCs permission to open the Basenji registry

to dogs from countries with no AKC-accepted registry. Since then,

Basenji lovers have brought dogs back from isolated areas in the

Congo and successfully integrated these healthy animals into the

breeding pool.

Obtaining such permission to bring in new genes is unusual.

Many breeders and clubs employ less dramatic measures: They

pair mates who are healthy. They keep dogs with known disorders

out of their breeding stock. They insist on conducting availablegenetic tests.

Yet in spite of these efforts, purebred health problems have con-

tinued and in some cases worsened. While genetic testing has made

precautionary measures possible for some breeds in recent decades,

people have been breeding dogs for centuries. Much damage has al-

ready been done. The modern German shepherd provides a classic

example: One of the breeds primary disorders, hemophilia, is

thought by most experts to have spread almost entirely through the

descendants of a single popular stud dog born in 1968 in Europe.

Though veterinarians learn about such problems in school and

see them in their practices, even they are sometimes still surprised by

their prevalence. When veterinarian Paula Kislak adopted retiredYORKSHIRETERRIER:KEVINRUSS/ISTOCK:BASENJI:RICHARDSCHERZINGER/ISTOCK;BASSETHOUND:ERICISSELE/ISTOCK;CAVALIERKINGCHARLESSPANIEL:GEOFFHARDY/ISTOC

K;FRAME:STUARTBURFORD/ISTOCK

ear disease

syringomyelia

lymphangiectasia

Fanconi syndrome

degenerative disc disease

corneal dystrophy

renal cortical hypoplasia



racing greyhounds, she assumed the breed at the very least was

physically strong because it was being bred for athleticism, she says.

But because many racing greyhounds are killed when they cease

performing on the track, few people knew of their genetic issues. As

her dogs aged, they were getting some really serious conditions in

a proportion that was much higher than the general population,

says Kislak, a member of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical

Associations leadership council. The oncologists were seeing a lot

of osteosarcoma. In fact, 50 percent of the greyhounds Ive had have

died of some sort of cancer.

A SHOT ACROSS THE BOW

While pet owners have been dealing with these issues relatively qui-

etly for decades, the documentaryPedigree Dogs Exposedrecently

brought them to the forefront.

Broadcast in the U.K. in 2008, thefilm was critical of the Kennel

Club, the British equivalent of the AKC, and showed purebreds with

a range of health problems. Among its revelations: The 2003 cham-

pion of Crufts, the countrys most prestigious dog show, was a

Pekingese who had to be photographed sitting on ice blocks because

his flat face made him so prone to overheating. The film showedimages of certain breeds in the early 20th century alongside pictures

of the same breeds today, demonstrating how a century of selecting

for looks had lengthened the back of the dachshund, rounded the

skull of the bull terrier, and dropped the hindquarters of some

German shepherds into an almost froglike stance.

The filmmakers interviewed the RSPCAs chief veterinary ad-

viser, Mark Evans, who noted that his group was extremely con-

cerned about the very high levels of disability, deformity, and

disease in pedigree dogs. According to the documentary, sickly

purebred dogs were costing British owners 10 million pounds a

week in veterinary fees.

In response, the Kennel Club and the Dogs Trusta charity

that,along with the RSPCA, had been critical of the clubs policies

jointly commissioned an independent inquiry led by Cambridge

University professor emeritus Sir Patrick Bateson. The resulting

report largely confirmed the documentarys findings, concluding

that inbreeding, selecting for extreme characteristics, and the prac-

tices of mass breeding facilities known as puppy mills were nega-

tively impacting dog welfare.

Describing the tension at the heart of the issue, Bateson wrote,

To the outsider, it seems incomprehensible that anyone should

admire, let alone acquire an animal that has difficulty in breathing

or walking. Yet people are passionate about owning and breedinganimals which they know and love, even though the animals man-

ifestly exhibit serious health and welfare problems.

Britains Kennel Club has since banned the registration of pup-

pies from closely related parents (matings of fathers and daughters,

for example) and revised many breed standards, adding language

to emphasize health and soundness, says the groups public relations

manager, Heidi Ancell.

Many of the standards, she says, were amended to ensure they

dont encourage extreme features. The Pekingese standard now

specifies that a muzzle must be evident. The bulldogs standard

calls for a relatively short face, stipulating that pinched nostrils

and heavy wrinkles over the nose should be severely penalized

by show judgeswho have in the past rewarded high marks for

such features.

Some breed clubs have welcomed the changes; others have

protested. But in the United Kingdom, at least, there seems to be

momentum for change. Whether that momentum will gather steam

in the U.S. remains to be seen.

BREEDING DISCONTENT

The AKC and its member breed clubs have devoted considerable

effort to improving the health of purebreds, in part by funding re-

search to find the genetic markers tied to certain disorders. In 1995,

the AKC launched the AKC Canine Health Foundation, a charitable

organization that raises funds to support canine health research; the

AKC gives the foundation $1 million in annual funding.

Dedicated breeders have also made significant strides, says vet-

erinarian Fran Smith, citing the success in correcting a disorder

known as collie eye anomaly.In order to have that pretty collie head

shape, it doesnt leave as much room in the skull for a particular

eye shape, says Smith, who serves on the AKCs Canine Health and

Welfare Advisory Panel and is president of the Orthopedic Founda-

tion for Animals.But collie breedersthe serious collie breeders

Gabriel Rangel shows Sadie, the Scottish terrier who won best in show at this yearsWestminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The breed is prone to multiple types of cancer;some studies indicate Scotties are 20 times more likely than other breeds to developcarcinomas of the bladder.


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have made a huge impact in selecting for dogs who have the correct

eye shape without that eye problem.

But the test for collie eye anomaly was developed only five years

ago, and plenty of collies were bred before then. Many have been

afflicted with retinal disease; many still end up blind.

Smith doesnt blame written breed standards as much as

peoples interpretation of those standards. What needs correcting,

she says, is this idea that if one wrinkle is good, then 12 wrinkles is

better. If a 4-pound Chihuahua is good, then a 1-pound Chihuahua

would be spectacular. Its a trend that even prompted Consumer Re-

portsto issue a warning in 2003, telling readers that thedemand for

ever-more-perfect purebred dogs has concentrated bad recessive

genes and turned many pets into medical nightmares.

Many of the disorders affecting dogs arent as visually dramatic

as the scenes of yelping and pain shown in the British documentary,

says Stephanie Shain, senior director of The HSUSs Puppy Mills

Campaign. But theyre no less awful when they lead to shorter,

less comfortable lives for the dogs. [This is about] the dog whos

going to die when shes 8 rather than when shes 12, says Shain.Its

the dog whos not going to be with her person for as long as she

should be.In the end, genetic tests are one of the only ways puppy buyers

can protect themselves; the Canine Health Information Center,

jointly sponsored by the AKC and the Orthopedic Foundation for

Animals, serves as a central repository for information about dogs

whove been screened for genetic disease; its database is accessible

to consumers and breeders. Consumers can also check AKC regis-

tration papers for health certification numbers indicating that a

puppys parents have been tested.

But many puppy buyers arent likely to find such proof: Plenty

of disorders arent even detectable yet, and theAKC does not require

breeders to test for those that are.

Responsible breeders who value breed health over profits have

an interest in accurate testing and reporting. But theres nothing to

compel less conscientious hobbyists and commercial puppy millers

who would rather avoid the costs.

Moreover, the AKC has not publicized any plans to encourage

its member clubs to update their breed standards, and the organiza-

tion continues to register puppies from the matings of closely re-

lated dogs.

The latter allowance is especially problematic, Bateson says. He

notes that the immune systems of inbred dogs do not function as

well, which explains why pedigree dogs run up such large veteri-

nary bills and are twice as likely to get cancer as outbred dogs.The issue goes beyond inbreeding. Quality control is an im-

portant part of any good business but is largely absent from dog

breeding, says Jerold Bell, clinical associate professor of genetics at

Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, who serves on the

AKCs Canine Health and Welfare Advisory Panel.

The AKC is unlikely to make testing mandatory, Bell notes,

adding that such a requirement would drive less responsible breeders

to simply register their puppies elsewhere: They wont miss a beat

in terms of what theyre doing.

Recent history has proven his point. In 2000, theAKC instituted

a requirement that any male dog bred more than seven times would

have to have a $40 DNA test. The policy inspired a boycott of AKC

registration by

breeders in Iowa and

Missouri, two states

where puppy mills

thrive. The Iowa Pet

Breeders Association

urged members to

register dogs through

alternative organiza-

tions, according to

news reports.

With the rise ofthese competing registries

over the past few decades, the

AKCstill the nations most pres-

tigioushas observed a change in the

perceived value of its name.

Before, AKC represented purebreds and everyone wanted an

AKC puppy, says Bell. But now you dont need AKC to be pure-

bred. He believes that if the AKC continues to encourage testing

and to push the message that AKC-registered dogs are healthy and

screened, the organization will be able to rebrand itself as the registry

for healthy purebreds.

A MORAL TIGHTROPE

But for all the effort the AKC devotes to that messaging, the organ-

ization shies away from the kind of tangible consumer advice

offered by experts like James Serpell, a professor at the University of

Pennsylvanias School of Veterinary Medicine who has long studied

the effect of genetics on dog behavior.

Step one, Serpell says, is never buy a puppy from a pet store.

What people dont realize is that you can buy a registered pedi-

gree dog from a pet store [that] was bred and produced at a

puppy mill where there is virtually no regulation of breeding prac-

tices whatsoever.The AKCs website provides helpful guidance for making more

informed choices, advising pet seekers to find responsible breeders.

The group also recommends that breeders meet and screen poten-

tial buyersa practice that suggests a commitment to ensuring the

dogs end up in loving homes.

But even as the AKC preaches good behavior, its practice of

courting registrations from high volume breeders undermines the

advice. This revenue source drives the organization to stop short of

advising people to avoid pet stores, most of which dont screen buyers

and frequently sell dogs from puppy mills that subject parent

animals to lifelong confinement in barren cages. And the AKCs

promotions encourage more such breeding: In April, for example,

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Among the3,000-plusdogsThe HSUShelpedrescue frompuppymills lastyear,manysufferedhealthproblems.Massbreedingfacilities likethis onein Washington statetypically keepparents in dismal, crampedconditions anddont conducthealth testing.Anyoneseekinga healthypurebred shouldavoidpurchasing frompet stores,whichprovidea bigmarket formill-bred puppies.

If he applied his personal standards, he said, the AKCs reg-

istryand consequently its revenuewould be tremendously

reduced, resulting in significant reductions of the organizations

services. I think if we go that direction, the American Kennel Club

will not exist 100 years from today, Merriam said.

In spite of his warning, the delegates voted to recommend that

the AKC board drop its pursuit of an official relationship with

Petland.

But since then, there have been signs that puppy mill money

has proved too tempting. The AKC is opposing a ballot initiative in

Missouri that would crack down on puppy mills by requiring higher

standards of care and limiting the allowable number of breeding

dogs to 50. Whats more, in 2009, an anti-puppy mill activist

obtained a description of an AKC-copyrighted software program

designed for use in pet stores. The program, Puppy Registration &

Inventory Management Extranet, was intended to make it as easy

and seamless as possible for stores to sell AKC registration along

with dogs.

The document ended up in the hands of The Dog Press, a web

publication for dog breeders and fanciers that lamented the ease with

which users of the program would be able to obtain AKC registra-tion for pet store puppiesand to process their returns.

Customers have 21 days in which to return the puppy and

that too is easily handled through the PRIME program, wrote

The Dog Press. Gone is the breeder-instilled commitment to a

new puppy. Gone is the traditional breeder support. The sales-aid

return policy can lead to unnecessary stress, mismanage [sic],

or abuse of puppies.

When editor-in-chief Barbara Andrews queried the AKC about

whether the software was in use, a club official called it an internal

business matter and declined further comment, according to The

Dog Press. (The AKC declined to answer specific questions posed by

All Animalsas well, though officials did refer us to veterinarians Bell

and Smith, who serve in an advisory capacity to the organization.)

SOUL SEARCHING FOR DOG LOVERS

Many within the AKC and its affiliated breed clubs are obviously

committed to the health and welfare of dogs. Yet the organizations

continued attempts to support itself with registration fees from

puppy mills surely conflict with its efforts to brand AKC dogs as

healthy and sound.

And some purebred lovers whove been through the economic

and emotional wringer have had enough.

Soon after Karin Shulin of Westlake, Ohio, got her Dobermanat a local pet store, she found out that the 6-month old puppy had

cardiomyopathya common condition in the breedthat had al-

ready resulted in a stage 3 heart murmur. I spent thousands, says

Shulin. I think I put the new wing on my vets house.

She still has a hard time talking about what happened to

Ranger. Last April he was out playing with my other dogs and he

just dropped dead, she says. It was horrifying.

Though Shulin has owned Dobermans since she was a child

and has worked with local breed rescue groups, she says shes done

with purebreds.

But thats a hard stance to take if you love the loping gallop of

a golden retriever, the pep of a poodle, the fire of a German shep-

it launchedDollar Deal Days, which allows breeders who register 11

litters or more in nine months to register the 11th for only a dollar.

Some AKC members have fought to reduce the influence of

puppy millers. The minutes of a September 2006 meeting document

a skirmish. Patricia Laurans, a representative from the German Wire-

haired Pointer Club of America, questioned the AKCs plan to form

a relationship with Petland, a pet store chain largely supplied by

the Hunte Corporation, a large puppy broker. In 2009, Petland was

investigated by The HSUS and sued by consumers who had bought

sick dogs.

I would like to call attention to every single Parent clubs code of ethics that says we will not sell to pet stores, Laurans was

quoted as saying in the transcript. I would like to call attention to

the fact that, from my humble belief, we are selling our birthright

for a few shekels.

The most thorough response came from David Merriam,a rep-

resentative from the Duluth Kennel Club and vice chairman of the

AKCs board of directors, who pointed out that the AKCs coffers

had long been lined with money from breeders of all sorts. As long

ago as 1981, 96 percent of the groups income came from registra-

tions. That money did not come only from the Fanciers or the

Sport, he said.That money came from all the dogs which means

it was the backyard breeders, and it was the commercial breeders.


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UGA VII keeps cool in his sideline doghouse during a football game in August 2008.Belovedby theUniversity ofGeorgia community,the dogs have been part ofthe schoolfootball tradition since 1956but the last three have died of heart failure.

herd. For breed enthusiasts, and for dog lovers who delight in the

diversity of the species, all of this may mean some soul-searching.

Some of the ways humans hurt animals are clear and easy to

see, but others are more subtleand more difficult to address.Dogs,

perhaps more than any other species, have become entangled in our

sense of self. Today, many Americans regard their dogs as substitute

children; they can also become symbols of identity or status or

power. And theres likely nothing wrong with that, as long as it

doesnt compromise the animals well-being.

Few animals exemplify the dichotomy of the human-canine

relationship like the celebrated white bulldogs who have long pa-

trolled the sidelines at University of Georgia football games. The

adorably ugly Ugas are venerated by Georgia fans and have

achieved national fame: In 1997, Uga V appeared on the cover of

Sports Illustrated.

But in November 2009, Uga VII died suddenly of a heart attack

at age 4. His two most recent predecessors, Uga VI and Uga V, also

died of heart failure, though they were much older.

Their health problems were in no way due to poor treatment.

Their owners, the Seiler family, provided the dogs with excellent

medical care. Ever since Uga II collapsed panting during a hot prac-tice in 1967an episode the dog survived, but that left him mostly

deafthe family has been particularly careful to attend to the dogs

health during games, providing them with air-conditioned dog-

houses and bags of ice to lie on.

These are necessary strategies for caring for a breed gone awry.

English bulldogs have trouble breathing and are prone to heat stroke;

most can neither mate nor give birth naturally due to the size of their

heads. And according to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals,

more than 30 percent of bulldogs suffer from elbow dysplasia, and

more than 70 percent from hip dysplasia.

Frank Seiler isnt overly troubled by the breeds problems; he

and his family have simply learned to treat them. And any dog

chosen to take on the mascot role undergoes special surgery to pre-

pare him for the gig.

We have these dogs operated on when theyre less than 1 year

old, he says. They go in and clear out the breathing passage

under gentle anesthesia, and from that point they dont have

breathing problems. They dont even snore.

That kind of devotion to helping the dogs live a more normal

life is admirable. But should dogs have to go through surgery simply

to function as dogs? Is this what we want for our best friends?

Tips for Finding a Healthy PurebredAt The HSUS, were big fans of adoption. By going to a local shelter

orrescue group,you stand a good chance of both saving a life and find-

inga purebredafter all, they make up an estimated 25 percent of dogs

in shelters.

When you cant find the dog youre looking for, however, respon-

sible breeders are another option; they are devoted to their animals well-

being and committed to placing them in loving homes. And if every

shelter dog were adopted and every puppy mill were shuttered, there

would still be a need for good breeders to supply dogs to American

households.

Whether you decide to get your next dog from a shelter or abreeder who treated her parents like part of the family, here are smart

ways to stack the deck in favor of finding a healthy pup.

DO YOUR RESEARCH. Want a particular kind of dog? Check out the

available dog health resources, such as the Canine Health Information

Center (caninehealthinfo.org) and the Canine Genetic Disease Network

(caninegeneticdiseases.net), to learn about what disorders your chosen

breed may be prone to, as well as what genetic tests are available.

CHECK WITH A RESCUE GROUP. These groups know their favored

breeds and are generally forthright about both their great qualities and

the challenges they face. Not only will they try to find you a great dog

who needs a home; theyll be able to give you tips on any health issues

the breed is prone to.

CHOOSE A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER. How can you tell? A good

breeder lets you check out the place where shes raising the puppies

frequently, her own home. She socializes her pups and doesnt place

them too early. She asks you lots of questions and is concerned about

where her dogs are going. Shes able to provide papers that show not

only the pups heritage but any genetic screening that was done on his

parents. And she makes you promise to bring the dog back if you ever

become unable to care for him.

BE REALISTIC. Sometimes, no matter how good a dogs breeder was,

no matter how carefully her parents were screened, she will get sick.

There arent yet tests for all the genetic disorders out there, so now andthen even the best of breeders get a sad surprise (and if one of their

puppies does get sick, even years later, they will want to know). For dog

owners, its good to have some money socked away in case the worst

happensand that goes for owners of purebreds and mutts alike.

CONSIDER ADOPTING AN OLDER DOG. Millions of adult dogs are in

need of homesand it is often easier to assess the health and tem-

perament of an already mature companion. An added bonus is that

these animals are usually housetrained and have passed the destructive

teething and hyperactivity stages.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on responsible puppy-buying, go to

humanesociety.org/puppy.

Documents

HSUS-Purebred Paradox PDF